FA set to ruin football's big day

Sportsmail Exclusive: The FA Cup Final, the most famous Saturday in the football calendar, is to be shunted to a Wednesday night at the end of next season.

Senior Football Association officials see the proposal as the most sensible way of giving England coach Sven Goran Eriksson a four-week break as preparation for the 2006 World Cup Finals in Germany.

Sportsmail understands that even the arch-traditionalists on the FA council are receptive to the idea if it means FA Cup replays will not have to be scrapped for earlier rounds.

It would be a bold move from the FA when the showpiece occasion has been pencilled in already as the inaugural game at the new £757million Wembley stadium.

The success of Wembley's business plan could be influenced by how well the event is staged.

Wembley officials are confident of being able to sell all 90,000 seats, whatever the result of the ongoing discussions, and a paper has been presented that assures the FA that television revenue will also not be affected.

FA are bracing themselves for opposition

But the FA are bracing themselves for opposition from supporters groups, UEFA and the police. The new Wembley will receive its health and safety certification only a few weeks prior to the cup final and the police might be against the first event being staged on a midweek evening.

Better, in their opinion perhaps, to prepare for the arrival of 90,000 spectators on a Saturday afternoon.

While the FA see the Wednesday before the final day of the Premiership season on May 13 as the best date - FIFA want all domestic competitions to finish by May 14 - UEFA's Champions League dates could yet complicate matters.

But FA Cup officials are almost certain that the original date for the final - Saturday, May 20 - will be changed. The issue has been discussed at board and council level and was also high on the agenda at Monday's FA management meeting.

August final mooted

There have also been detailed talks between David Davies, the FA executive director, and Michael Cunnah, the Wembley chief executive. At one point, it was even mooted that the final could be staged in August of next year.

In an effort to free up dates and ensure that next season finishes early, Eriksson has agreed to drop a February friendly. The only early spring international will now take place on March 1.

Eriksson will then be given two friendlies at the new Wembley after the domestic season has ended.

Brazil, as Sportsmail revealed earlier this week, plan to prepare for the World Cup Finals in Leicestershire and Wembley officials are keen to mark England's first game at the new stadium with a friendly against the reigning world champions.

The England coach has already said he wants to prepare at home for the tournament in Germany, just as he did before last summer's European Championship.

HOW THE FA SHATTERED FOOTBALL'S BIG DREAM

1991 - ONLY ONE REPLAY

FA decreed only one replay for ties, ending tradition that no match could be decided by penalty shoot-out. In 1999, FA Cup Final replays were abandoned.

1998 - SPONSORSHIP

FA announced four-year £15m deal with French insurance company AXA, first sponsorship in its history. Deal not renewed in 2002.

2000 - MAN UTD'S WITHDRAWAL

Man Utd given permission not to enter FA Cup, competing instead in FIFA World Club Championship in Brazil to help England's doomed 2006 World Cup bid.

2001 - MOVING DATE OF FINAL

FA surrendered Cup Final's slot as last domestic game of season, scheduling it on Saturday before final Premiership matches.